Overcoming Bullying
by Dragon with a Shotgun
Summary: Anna has her first encounters with bullying and is unsure of how to stop it. But big brother Wheeljack is not willing to let his little sister give up so easily.


**Transformers Prime Short**

By

Dragon with a Shotgun

**Hey guys! Sorry for having not posted anything for so long… Thought that this would be perfect to write, since the subject is of great concern in schools and it's about my two favorite characters, Anna and Wheeljack. Enjoy!**

**Bullying**

"Hey, Jackie!" Anna popped up on the top of the pilot's seat where Wheeljack was working on a few wires under the control panel.

Wheeljack, not expecting Anna to be in his ship at that time of the day, gasped and hit his head under the control panels in fright. Anna cringed when the thud echoed through the ship before he crawled out from under the panel and sat up rubbing his head. When he gave her a puzzled expression, she smiled hesitantly.

"Heh-heh… 'Sup?" she giggled meekly.

The Wrecker blinked for a moment, thoughts running through his processer before he tilted his head.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" he questioned as he touched the top of his head and looked at his hand.

Anna grinned and shook her head. "Wheeljack, don't you remember? The teachers were having a conference this afternoon so we got to get out early!"

The large Autobot chewed over that for a moment. Oh yeah! He had forgotten about the teachers letting the students out early. And about him supposed to pick her up when school got out. The school had been moved after the explosion that Decepticons had made. None of the humans knew what the cause of it was, besides Raf, Jack, Miko, and Anna. So now the school was a lot farther away, which Anna was okay with. It just gave her more time to nap on the way there. She was never a morning person. She could hardly put one foot on the floor before flopping right back onto the bed. Or berth, in this case since she lived with the Autobots.

"Ah, um… sorry, kid. I forgot to pick ya up." he apologized before standing up.

Anna smiled brightly at him with her big blue eyes. "It's okay, Jackie. Bee let me ride with him." She then looked at the control panels in front of the pilot's seat. Some of the wires were hanging down and green liquid dripped from a few and some were tangled.

"So, whatcha doing?" she asked, lifting her eyes back up to look at him.

He shrugged as he wiped his hands with a large cloth. "Ah, just trying to repair the controls. They've been kinda hard to use lately."

"How?"

"They've been stiff and hard to maneuver. I'm hoping that replacing some of those wires will speed things up and they'll be good to go." he replied casually, but tiredly.

Anna tilted her head slightly, and nodded. She guessed that he had had a hard day by the sound of his voice. It sounded like he was about to fall out any second, and his optics were pretty dim too. She knew that when his optics, or any of the Autobots', were dim, they were either upset or exhausted.

Then Anna remembered something from school, and she suddenly looked down and rested her cheek against her hand. Her eyes collected a dark look and her pink cheeks paled a little. Wheeljack noticed this from the corner of his optics and he turned to her with a curious look. He knew that look anymore. Something was bothering her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, throwing the cloth on the pilot seat.

She shrugged. "Nothin'…"

He frowned. "C'mon, kiddo…" he said sternly, voice filled with concern. "Spill it."

Anna stared down at her feet for a moment, hesitant and looking ashamed in a way. Wheeljack pulled up a stool and sat on it, facing her and showing her his bright blue optics. He studied her as she fiddled with her hair for a second before she finally let out a sigh and looked up at him meekly. She looked back down for a long time, and then at the slightly damp rag that he had dropped. She picked up the corner of it and gently patted her left cheek, never looking at her guardian as she began to rub off the makeup on her face. When it was all gone, Wheeljack's optics widened and he leaned forward to get a better look when she put the towel down. It was a reddish-purple mark, and he could see each distinctive finger print on the bruise. His spark began to burn and thrum in anger and his optics constricted.

Somebody had gone and slapped his little sister.

"Jackie… I… um…"

He shook his head, and she saw a look in his optics that she had never seen before. "Who did this to you? Was it her?"

The one he referred to as 'her' was one of the girls at school named Krista. He didn't care to know her last name, nor did he care to even think about her. A long while back a new blonde-haired girl arrived at the school and had made Anna's life there a total wreck, as from how Anna had spoken about her. The girl had turned a few people that Anna was quite good friends with into jerks, and they harassed Anna occasionally at school, if not daily. Anna had talked to teachers, but nobody had done anything about it, or if they had, Krista was a persistent girl.

"Why did she do it this time?" he demanded.

She shrugged. "She… said something about taking her anger out on someone… So…" she couldn't finish, and she tore her submissive gaze from Wheeljack's raged and concerned one. She didn't want to look directly into her guardian's eyes when he was in such a mood, so she just sat down and crossed her legs.

Seeing that he may have been frightening her, Wheeljack immediately softened his gaze and his optics flickered in thought. He stared at her for a long time before he sighed. "Kiddo… I'm so sorry…"

She risked looking up at him, and watched as he lowered a hand and touched her cheek with a finger carefully. She grasped his hand with both of hers and she leaned her head against his palm while his fingers curled around her back. She felt the comforting warmth of his metallic hand, listened to the thrumming of his spark much like one could listen to a human's heartbeat. It was such a melodic sound that calmed her mind as she looked up at him with her blue eyes.

"Anna, you know I love ya… So I really hate to see you get hurt."

She sighed, looking down. "I know… but I don't know what to do…"

He fell silent for a moment, but then he smiled. "Hey… ya know what I did whenever I got bullied when I was young?"

She looked up at him with a quizzical look in her eyes. "_You _used to be _bullied_?"

He chuckled. "Yep. Was the shortest of the academy, so I was the perfect target for those tall ones. See, they used to actually pick me up and shove me into the storage lockers, the top ones, too."

She smiled crookedly, trying to picture somebody actually trying to pick up Wheeljack, a large bulky Wrecker. Yeah, she could imagine Bulkhead, but any other bot, no. She tilted her head. "Really?"

He nodded. "Primus, those were the good old days compared to these times with Decepticons. I actually miss those days."

Anna laughed. "You miss being bullied?"

He thought about what he said, and then his optics widened and he shook his head. "Well, no! Not the bullying part! I meant the times without the Decepticon wars and all. Heh… don't be happy with being bullied!"

She giggled and nodded in understanding. But then she frowned and looked up at him. "But how did you get them back?"

He blinked in curiosity. "Huh?"

"How did you get those bullies back? Did you pull pranks on them or something?" she asked.

He thought for a moment, trying to remember what he had done. It had been so long ago before the war, when he was a 'teenager' in human terms. He then smiled and looked down at his young friend with gleaming optics.

"Well," he started with a soft voice, "One day, I was at my storage locker, putting my tablets away for my next class. Then they came, four of them, like they did every day, and they came right up wo my storage locker and closed it. I looked up at them, and they looked down at me." Anna stared up at her brother with large eyes and a curious expression, leaning forward in interest in the story.

"'_Hey, pipsqueak, where ya off to?_' the leader of the gang said. He was a big, big mech, older than me and twice my size. I didn't reply to him, as my mother had always said to ignore them for as long as I could. But they kept at it, and they shoved me around, roughed me up a bit. I started to get mad, started to say something. _'What ya gonna say, punk? Ya got somethin' to say?' _the leader kept on, and he shoved me up against the lockers. They laughed, called me a few names, and I could feel my spark pulsing, and I felt something starting to slip. I wasn't sure what it was, but I had had enough of those bullies and before I knew it, I had socked that guy right in the nose!"

Anna gasped. "You punched the leader of the gang?"

He grinned. "Yup! Sure did, and Primus did it feel great! All of that anger built up inside me and not only did I hit him, I straight up started beating him up! I was on top of him, swinging and he was crying like a big sparkling."

Anna smiled in excitement. "Really? Did the others do anything?"

"Nope. They just stood there scared out of their minds." Wheeljack watched as her eyes sparkled as she imagined the scene, and she smiled as she saw the scene play.

"Wish I could've seen it…" she sighed, and he chuckled. But then she regained that gloomy look. "But… didn't you get punished? In school, we're not allowed to fight…"

Wheeljack whistled and leaned back a little. "Ohhh Primus… Get in trouble? I got fraggin' whipped! By the academy and my father when I got home!" She looked up in sympathy, but instead of comforting her softly, he grinned. "But ya know what?"

She blinked. "What?"

"I smiled each time I got whipped."

"You… smiled?" Anna repeated in disbelief.

He nodded. "Yup. I had felt so proud of myself for standing up for myself that I didn't even care about those whippings. I had protected myself, and that's all that mattered. After that day, those students never bothered me again."

She looked down at her feet, studying over his words for a moment and then smiling a little bit. "Huh…"

Seeing that she may have not been fully satisfied yet, he frowned. She showed signs that she was still troubled, and he thought of how he could make her smile again. Then a light bulb lit up and he made a mischievous grin. She looked up at him distractingly, but then caught that look in his optics, and she lifted her cheek from her hand and stared up at him.

"Uh… Jackie?" she piped, and he leaned forward.

"Are you happy?" he asked suddenly.

She frowned. "Um… I guess… Not really?"

"You need to be."

"Jackie, what are you doing?"

"Going to make you happy."

"Jackie don't!-," When he reached his hand down to snatch her up, she jumped to her feet and sprinted away from him. But before she could get too far he caught her and jerked her up by the back of her shirt. She shrieked as he lifted her up and placed her in his other hand. Before she knew it, the song _Three Little Birds _by Bob Marleywas playing. Then he proceeded to poke at her stomach with his finger and she burst into a fit of screams and laughter.

"ACK! Jackie, no! Stop! Hehehe! Pleaheahease!" she shouted, wriggling in his hand and trying to push his finger away.

_"Don't worry about a thing,_

_'Cause every little thing gonna be all right._

_Singin': "Don't worry about a thing,_

_'Cause every little thing gonna be all right! "_

"C'mon, kiddo, sing along!" Wheeljack laughed as he continued to tickle her and sway energetically back and forth to the loud song that played on his radio.

Anna squealed and clawed at his fingers. "No! Stohohop!" she cried out in hearty laughter, kicking his fingers with her feet but only exhausting herself more as he continued to sway back and forth to the song and grinned down at his little sister laughing like a maniac. The sound of her laughter made him feel a lot happier, and he knew that this was making her feel happier as well. Well… it sounded like it anyway.

"_Rise up this mornin',_

_Smile with the risin' sun,_

_Three little birds_

_Each by my doorstep_

_Singin' sweet songs_

_Of melodies pure and true,_

_Sayin', ("This is my message to you-ou-ou: ")"_

"Okay! Okay! Hahaha! I'm happy Hehehe!" she squealed, and he shook his head.

"You're gonna have to sing!" He started tickling her sides and under her arms, earning higher-pitched giggles and shrieks from her. She tried her hardest to push him away, but it was no use. She would have no choice but to do what he asked.

So she tried. "Don't worry 'bout a thing… Hehehe! C-Cause e-every- Hahaha! Every little thing… Hehe! Is gonna be alright!"

Wheeljack grinned, and sang along. "Don't worry about a thing, 'cause every little thing, is gonna be alright!"

He then stopped tickling her, and Anna grinned and actually began to sing along. "Rise up this mornin'! Smiled with the risin' sun. Three little birds, each by my doorstep!"

Wheeljack took a turn. "Singin' sweet songs, of melodies pure and true! Sayin' 'This is my message to you-ou-ou:"

Then both began to sing together, Wheeljack hugging her close to his neck and her hugging his face. "Singin': 'Don't worry about a thing, worry about a thing, oh! Every little thing gonna be all right. Don't worry! Singin': 'Don't worry about a thing'- I won't worry! 'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"

"_Singin': "Don't worry about a thing,_

_'Cause every little thing gonna be all right" - I won't worry!_

_Singin': "Don't worry about a thing,_

_'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."_

_Singin': "Don't worry about a thing, oh no!_

_'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"_

Wheeljack did a little spin as the song ended, causing her to start laughing, and himself too for being so silly. They laughed in happiness and joy. It felt so good to laugh, it made the spirit lift and made them feel like everything was going to be okay. Seeing her smile made the Wrecker feel better on the inside, and he felt her hug him tighter as he looked down at her. She grinned back up at him and he chuckled.

"You happy now?"

She nodded, still giggling. "Yeah, yeah I am." She pressed her cheek against his and he hummed in content. "Thanks, Jackie…"

He smiled softly in return and rubbed her back with a finger. "No problem, kiddo. Just remember, don't let others get ya down just because they think that they're better than you, 'cause they're not."

She nodded, rubbing happy tears from her eyes. "I won't, bro…"

The next day Anna had gone to school with a smile on her face, practically skipping into the school when Wheeljack had dropped her off that morning. For the whole day he had slightly worried about her since that talk they had the day before. He hoped that she was alright.

So around three o' clock he pulled up at the school beside Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Arcee and put it in park. Not long after the bell rang and kids began pouring out of the school. Jack, Miko, Raf, and Anna came walking out, close to each other and speaking within their group. Anna still seemed cheerful, to Wheeljack's relief. But then he became concerned when a certain blonde-haired teenage girl strolled up close behind the group with a few girls behind her.

"Hey, Loser! Where ya going in such a hurry, huh?" Krista yelled, a few girls behind her giggling with smirks on their faces.

Anna stopped instinctively, as did Jack, Miko, and Raf. They all looked at the group of girls, and Anna shook her head and looked to her friends. "Let's just go…" They began walking again, Jack closer to her side now.

"Aw, come on, ya wimp! Don't ya wanna see your _best friends_?" Krista called.

Jack paused and looked back at them again, then at Anna. She looked up at him with distressed eyes for a moment, but then she sighed and frowned. "Go on… I'll catch up in a while…"

"You sure?" Jack asked with concern, his eyes studying her. His hand grasped hers gently.

She smiled meekly back and nodded, giving his hand a squeeze before she let it go. "Yeah… go on…" He nodded, hesitantly, and followed Miko and Raf, who also wore uncertain looks. Anna took in a deep breath, and she turned to face Krista and her group of friends.

"What do you want?" Anna demanded, not giving the other girl any sign of fear. Krista crossed her arms and stared at her with a sneer.

"You still owe me money from lunch." she snapped.

Anna glared back, holding her books. "I don't owe you anything."

The group of girls looked at each other, and then they smiled in an evil sort of way when before turning their attention back to Anna. Krista stepped forward, and balled up her fist at her side. "You don't? Well, too bad. Give me ten bucks right now, or go home with a black eye."

Anna stared at Krista for a moment, her fear trying to build up inside her. But then she remembered what Wheeljack said the day before. Krista thought that she was better than her, but she wasn't. With that thought, Anna smiled slightly to herself, and she nodded.

"Okay. Let me just get the money out of my bag." she said softly, setting her books down. The girls snickered to each other as she did so.

Wheeljack could hardly believe what he was seeing. Didn't they just have this talk yesterday?! Anna was practically giving into the bully while he was watching! He almost shook in distress, and the others watched on and he could see Jack get back off of Arcee.

But then Anna did something unexpected. After she sat her books down, she began to dig in her pocket as if she was looking for money. Then she pulled her hand out of her pocket and opened it to reveal a few coins. She looked up at the other girl in some kind of sympathy.

"Sorry. I don't have ten." she said simply, shoving the coins back into her pocket.

Krista huffed, looking at her purple nails. "Darn… I was hoping that I wouldn't mess up my manicure. But oh well. I guess this will serve as a reminder that you need to get a job!"

Just as Krista was about to hit her, when she was close enough, Anna drew her own fist back and shot it forward with every ounce of strength she had in her arm. It hit Krista directly in the nose, and the girl cried out in shock and pain before stumbling back into the other girls, who caught her and looked on in surprise. Krista rubbed her now bleeding nose, whimpering, and then glared up at Anna.

Anna smiled almost wickedly as she cracked her knuckle. "Well, your nails aren't messed up, but I think ya might wanna get a new nose job after that!" When Krista didn't respond, she frowned. "if you want, I can give you a reason for jaw surgery!"

The girls gasped at Anna's sudden confidence and harsh words. Krista made a pitiful 'Huh!' and straightened back up, and then walked off, the confused girls on her heels. Wheeljack watched in surprise and actually pride as the girls walked off, one with a bleeding nose, and Anna spun around and picked up her books, smiled at the others, and then strolled to the white car waiting for her. She jumped into the passenger seat and put her stuff in before closing the door. When the door was closed, she suddenly groaned and leaned back, clutching her hand to her chest.

"Dang it! That hurt!"

Wheeljack chuckled in disbelief, and he smiled inwardly. He couldn't think of anything else to say other than, "Kiddo… I love you…"

She looked at the steering wheel, and smiled proudly in reply as she rested her hands in her lap. "I love you, too, Jackie."

The Wrecker let the others pull out of the parking lot before backing up himself and pulling out of the lot. On the way back, he listened as Anna told him about her day and how she had come up with the courage to stand up for herself. Then after she was through talking, Jack had called to see how she was and she began to explain all over again over the phone what had happened. The Wrecker was proud of her, he really was. He couldn't help but feel that way. She stood up to her fears and defended herself and showed that she wasn't going to be pushed around any longer.

_That's my little sis… _he thought to himself happily.

**If you are being bullied in school, or anywhere you are, tell an adult. Don't let it continue on until something happens that will hurt you. Stand up for yourself, and fight against bullying. And if you are a bully, consider what pain you are causing others. Consider how it would be like if you were the one being bullied. Talk to a trusted adult about your problems, don't take it out on others who you think are weaker, because you picking on them doesn't make you any better. It just shows how low you are. **


End file.
